(I think) you're my favorite sound
by mitaharukai
Summary: "Because hearing you laugh it's beautiful and it became my favorite sound, as much as seeing you smile became my favorite sight"


**(I think) you're my favorite sound**

You kind of dislike it. The imperceptible way she approaches to her, the loud laugh that escapes from her lips as your senpai says something apparently funny, that sweet smile plastered on her face... but especially, you dislike the way her eyes shine when she get lost in her own world looking at your senpai like nothing or nobody else in the whole room exists, just her...

You know what it means, you know the word to define it or describe what you feel every time you observe her with your senpai but you don't want to neither admit it or say it out loud for fear to make that feeling something real, so you just convince yourself you merely don't like it because she's your friend, hell, maybe not even that but your bandmate after all. You don't want to see her getting her hopes high, and you don't want to feel useless and helpless seeing her getting hurt and crying over it and not being able to take her pain away or help her in any possible way. You don't want to admit you'd do anything to prevent it because she's more than a bandmate for you.

When the rumors about Reina and Taki-sensei start to spread, you know she's going to use them to create doubts in favor of her beloved Kaori-senpai so she can get the desiring and last solo trumpet of her school years before she graduates and leaves.  
So when Yuuko half implies, half accuses the sensei of favoritism and starts interrogating them, she ignites an angry fire in you without even know about it that makes you jump in front of Reina to defender her about the accusations and confront Yuuko, furious with her, with the situation, fuming at her words because even if she admires and adores Kaori, everybody can see and hear how Reina is better and more deserving of that solo because of her talent and dedication, and not just because it's her last year or she's a good person like Kaori's reasons to win as Yuuko put into words.

But maybe that's not the only reason you two fight and avoid each other for the rest of the school day...

At the end of the school day, you find her around the lockers, getting her shoes, ready to go home or more likely, looking absently at them, thinking in God's knows what. So you blow some air in her ear to scare her and break some tension.

\- What are you doing here alone? - you ask her.

\- Don't bother me, leave - she says clearly bothered by your presence. You just shook your head and support yourself against the lockers.

\- You know Kaori-senpai doesn't need this, don't you? You'd make things worse for her - you advise her, trying to make her back down about keeping up with the accusations and stop to work in favor of her senpai for that solo.

\- Shut up! You didn't even make it to the competition - she yells at you and pushes you out of her way, not even bothering to give you the chance to say anything back.

You sigh and got ready to go home and leave the day behind but not being completely able to put it behind you because of the worry that causes you to see Yuuko defend so fiercely her senpai and her own ulterior motives, not caring about getting herself damaged in the process.

As days pass by, you observe everybody making their best efforts at the rehearsals so everything is beyond good for the final performance, encouraging you to make your best effort to help them as you weren't able to pass the auditions, and speaking of those, you remember the day of the re-audition to see whether Reina or Kaori get the solo trumpet, finally arrived.

As Kaori and Reina are relaxing and finishing the last details of their performances, getting ready to get out to play their respective solo parts, you aren't surprised to see Yuuko going after Kaori to help her practicing for her audition and cheering her up and you can't help but wonder how long she would keep hurting herself like that...

Just as you're walking through one of the hallways on your way to the auditorium, you hear some rushed steps before something or rather someone crushes onto your back and stays there, grabbing tightly your clothes and then you hear it, you hear something that breaks your heart, the sound of a cry.

\- What? - you say surprised then sigh as you look back and catch a glimpse of a big ribbon and Yuuko crying, burying her face in between the crumpled folds of your clothes as she keeps grabbing them tightly and you know very well she ended getting hurt after all.

You let her stay there crying and holding onto you for as long as she needs before she detaches herself from you and starts running again while tears keep running down her face. That image shrinks so much your heart that makes you run after her worried, without even thinking about it and follow her to the nearest bathroom.

You stare at the closed door several minutes, hearing her painful crying before you gather enough courage to push the door open and lock it after you, not wanting anybody to get it or give Yuuko a chance to try and escape with the minimum opportunity.

She's still sobbing hard when looks up at you though the mirror, angry and ready to yell at you before you softly press a finger on her lips to silence her and step forwards to fully embrace her tightly against your chest, smothering her hair to calm her down.

Her first instinct is to try and yell at you, hitting your chest and pushing you, trying to break free from your embrace but you don't let her and hug her even tighter against you.

You tell yourself you're doing it because you don't want your bandmate to feel so sad, that you can't stand how this is going to affect the incoming competition but the truth is, that you're doing it because it breaks your her to see her crying, it makes you want to hold her in your arms, protecting her from the pain outside the world you create for her in them. It makes you not want to let her go but stay in your arms for what it seems an eternity and be able to put a smile in that beautiful face, and for once and without precedent, you aren't afraid to admit to yourself that is all because you fell in love with her, of her shining eyes, her soft voice, her strong temperament, just her... everything.

You two might be constantly bickering and it could seem like you don't get along at all but being honest, you just cause her all those troubles because it's funnily cute to bother her, to be able to see her face getting redder per seconds and inflating her cheeks, ready to puff air out of them in any second as she crosses her arms over her chest, but sometimes, that bickering and bothering game gets too dangerous and she simply drives you crazy in the most unthinkable ways.

\- I don't know what happened, but please don't cry - you whisper into her hair, hugging her even tightly if it's possible but without hurting her before you release her to wipe her tears away and pinch her cheeks weakly, bothering her enough to make her stop crying.

\- That's easy for you to say - she huffs and turns around, not letting you see her vulnerable or letting you comfort her after her apparently rejection.

For a moment you panic not knowing what to do as you never saw her so sad, so about to give up so without even thinking, you slowly press yourself against her back and take her hand in yours, lacing your fingers.

\- Do you know what does a finger say to the thumb? - you ask her, trying to make her follow the joke but there's only silence, you aren't even sure if she heard you or simply chose to ignore you, not being in mood for a joke. - Come on Yuuko, amuse me - you try again to make her say something but she just shrug her shoulders, making you sigh.

\- What does a traffic light say to another? - you ask her, try again, hoping she would follow you this time.

\- I don't know - she softly says, so softly you almost didn't got to hear it.

\- Don't look! I'm changing! - you say in a funny way, getting a soft laugh from her and in that moment, with your fingers laced and her head pressed against your beating heart, it can't sound more beautiful...

You stay like that for a little, in silence without the necessity to pronounce any word, just the two of you pressed together in comfort and relaxed with your hands intertwined, before she sighs and turns around once again, letting go of your hand to surround your waist with her arms in a hug and hide her face on your neck, surprising you but giving you a tenderly feeling.

\- You're a complete idiot - she softly says.

\- I am, but I'm an idiot that worries about you - you say equally softly, fully embracing her against you.

\- She didn't want my help, she only cared about what Asuka-senpai would thought about her - she mumbles against your skin, sending some shivers down your spine that quickly get replaced by a hurting and envying feeling, because, of course she'd be thinking on Kaori no matter what. - I'm tired of doing my best for her and still never be enough.

\- You're more than good enough for me. You don't need anybody to flatter you to play your music, to feel so free and sure of yourself while the notes get lost in the air. You don't need anybody else but yourself to shine... - you could say a lot of things, some more convenient to cheer her up, to reassure her that she's more than good enough but your mind choose that exact moment to go blank and make it even harder for you to put into words all the good things you see in Yuuko and wish she would see in herself.

\- You suck at comforting people, you know? - she says hugging you more while a soft laugh escapes from her smiling lips.

\- I might be, but you laughed and that's everything I needed to hear - you say honestly.

\- Why? - she asks, pressing her nose against your pulse.

\- Because hearing you laugh it's beautiful and it became my favorite sound, as much as seeing you smile became my favorite sight.

\- Idiot - she says as embarrassed as you feel after admitting those words while keeps smiling against you neck, leaving a little kiss on it. She's seriously driving you crazy.

Slowly she untangles herself from you, sweetly smiling but not letting you fully see her and you swear you just fell even harder for her right now.

\- We should go back to the auditorium, I can't stand you for so long - she says trying to sound mean but fails miserably with that sweet smile adorning her face.

\- Your loss then - you say playfully winking at her, gaining another laugh and a playful push as she walks to unlock the door but pauses halfway.

\- You know? You're an idiot - she says looking directly into your eyes - but you're an adorkable idiot that I might fancy a little too much - and presses a light and soft kiss against your lips, wanting to make you return it and fully kiss her but before you can do anything, she turns around and leaves through the door, not without winking at you before the door closes and leaves you standing in the middle of the bathroom like a true idiot, happy to have been able to see her smile and laugh so carefree, happy this time is aimed at you.

She might not be fully aware of it but you're falling head over heels for her and would do anything for her to be happy, to see that smile and laugh aimed at you, to embrace her and protect her from any pain...


End file.
